Youth center, HAPPY merge in Hoosick Falls [Bennington Banner, Vt.]

Jan. 20--HOOSICK FALLS, N.Y. -- Two youth-focused organizations have merged into one.

The Hoosick Youth and Community Center and the Hoosick Area Partnership for Parents and Youth (HAPPY) have combined to make one entity, called the Hoosick Area Youth Center and Community Coalition (HAYC3).

The boards of both non-profit groups voted Jan. 6 to approve the merger and pick board members.

"The merger process began several months ago when Joyce (Davis, former HAPPY executive director) announced her retirement," said new HAYC3 executive director Aelish Nealon in a press release. "At that time, we began discussing the idea of becoming one entity and one board in order to maintain the progress that has been made for the youth of our community and to strengthen the Youth Center, which has become the hub of most of HAPPY's activities."

The Youth Center had already been open from November to April, but demand led to an expanding calendar.

Good for business

The decision to merge is good from a business standpoint, said Beth Dillard, HAYC3's director of sustainability and strategic planning. "We were competing for fund-raising, and since we work together on most things anyway, we figured this was a smart and logical plan," Dillard said.

By merging, it will be easier to explain to residents exactly what funding and donations are going toward. "There's been a gray area between HAPPY and the Youth Center," Dillard said. "Most of the

staff worked for both; now it's just official."

Not much will change publicly, said James Monahan, the president of the new entity.

"The center hours and activities will remain the same or expand and the HAPPY programs to promote healthy choices and strengthen the community will continue," Monahan said in a release. "The only change will be that the two organizations have merged, the two staffs have joined together and the two boards have formed one, stronger team."

It should be a smooth changeover, Dillard said. "Anything going on now should continue," she said.

Two of the board seats will be filled by youth directors, between 14 and 18 years old, and those members will have the same voting power as the other members. "For now, any board member from either board who wanted to remain could stay on and we're in the process of getting the two youth members," Dillard said.

Also, a Coalition Advisory Committee has been created, to include parts of the HAPPY organization that represent the sectors of the community. This committee will serve to advise the board on the needs of the community.

"It will preserve the coalition, community-based component of HAPPY and provide the board with valuable input from a diverse group of people," said Davis, who was selected to be a part of the board of directors.

The group is working on getting a 21st Century learning grant, something that may be easier as one.

"Getting that grant could really help us continue to expand offerings at the Youth Center," Dillard said.

There will be an official event to celebrate the closing of the merger. A three-day open house is planned for the weekend of March 26, which includes the second annual Comedy Night.

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